Treatment of the blood-brain barrier with flurbiprofen

ABSTRACT

A process for treating the blood-brain barrier by the systemic administration of flurbiprofen (3-fluoro-4-phenylhydratropic acid) or a salt or ester thereof. Dosage forms are also disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This invention is the new use for known compounds, flurbiprofen(3-fluoro-4-phenylhydratropic acid) including the salts or estersthereof, have been found to be useful for treatment of the blood-brainbarrier by the systemic administration.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Flurbiprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) has beenused in rheumatic and degenerative diseases of the joints and forreducing platelet adhesiveness.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a lipid membrane located between theplasma and the fluids of the brain. The BBB is a permeable membrane andis molecule selective. The BBB can be damaged and become dilated mainlydue to trauma, infection, shock, and irradiation resulting in edema andallowing passage of compounds such as drugs, bacteria, virus and thelike which would otherwise not pass from the blood to the brain.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The active compounds of the present invention are flurbiprofen(3-fluoro-4-phenylhydratropic acid) including the alkyl esters of fromone to eight carbon atoms, inclusive, including isomeric forms or thepharmacologically acceptable salts.

The esters can be the methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl,tert-butyl, pentyl, and octyl esters.

Pharmacologically acceptable salts can be, for example, the alkalimetal, alkaline earth and ammonium salts.

The compositions of the present invention are preferably presented forsystemic administration to humans and animals in unit dosage forms, suchas tablets, capsules, pills, powders, granules, suppositories, sterileparenteral solutions or suspensions, sterile non-parenteral solutions orsuspensions, and oral solutions or suspensions and the like, containingsuitable quantities of an active ingredient.

For oral administration either solid or fluid unit dosage forms can beprepared.

Powders are prepared quite simply by comminuting the active ingredientto a suitably fine size and mixing with a similarly comminuted diluent.The diluent can be an edible carbohydrate material such as lactose orstarch. Advantageously, a sweetening agent or sugar is present as wellas a flavoring oil.

Capsules are produced by preparing a powder mixture as hereinafterdescribed and filling into formed gelatin sheaths. Advantageously, as anadjuvant to the filling operation, a lubricant such as talc, magnesiumstearate, calcium stearate and the like is added to the powder mixturebefore the filling operation.

Soft gelatin capsules are prepared by machine encapsulation of a slurryof active ingredients with an acceptable vegetable oil, light liquidpetrolatum or other inert oil or triglyceride.

Tablets are made by preparing a powder mixture, granulating or slugging,adding a lubricant and pressing into tablets. The powder mixture isprepared by mixing an active ingredient, suitably comminuted, with adiluent or base such as starch, lactose, kaolin, dicalcium phosphate andthe like. The powder mixture can be granulated by wetting with a bindersuch as corn syrup, gelating solution, methylcellulose solution oracacia mucilage and forcing through a screen. As an alternative togranulating, the powder mixture can be slugged, i.e., run through thetablet machine and the resulting imperfectly formed tablets broken intopieces (slugs). The slugs can be lubricated to prevent sticking to thetablet-forming dies by means of the addition of stearic acid, a stearatesalt, talc or mineral oil. The lubricated mixture is then compressedinto tablets.

Advantageously, the tablet can be provided with a protective coatingconsisting of a sealing coat or enteric coat of shellac, a coating ofsugar and methylcellulose and a polish coating of carnauba wax.

Fluid unit dosage forms of oral administration such as syrups, elixirsand suspensions can be prepared wherein each teaspoonful of compositioncontains a predetermined amount of active ingredient for administration.The water-soluble forms can be dissolved in an aqueous vehicle togetherwith sugar, flavoring agents and preservatives to form a syrup. Anelixir is prepared by using a hydroalcoholic vehicle with suitablesweeteners together with a flavoring agent. Suspensions can be preparedof the insoluble forms with a suitable vehicle with the aid of asuspending agent such as acacia, tragacanth, methylcellulose and thelike.

For parenteral administration, fluid unit dosage forms are preparedutilizing an active ingredient and a sterile vehicle, water beingpreferred. The active ingredient, depending on the form andconcentration used, can be either suspended or dissolved in the vehicle.In preparing solutions the water-soluble active ingredient can bedissolved in water for injection and filter sterilized before fillinginto a suitable vial or ampule and sealing. Advantageously, adjuvantssuch as a local anesthetic, preservative and buffering agents can bedissolved in the vehicle. Parenteral suspensions are prepared insubstantially the same manner except that an active ingredient issuspended in the vehicle instead of being dissolved and sterilizationcannot be accomplished by filtration. The active ingredient can besterilized by exposure to ethylene oxide before suspending in thesterile vehicle. Advantageously, a surfactant or wetting agent isincluded in the composition to facilitate uniform distribution of theactive ingredient.

In addition to oral and parenteral administration, the rectal andvaginal routes can be utilized. An active ingredient can be administeredby means of a suppository. A vehicle which has a melting point at aboutbody temperature or one that is readily soluble can be utilized. Forexample, cocoa butter and various polyethylene glycols (carbowaxes) canserve as the vehicle.

The term "unit dosage form" as used in the specification and claimsrefers to physically discrete units suitable as unitary dosages forhuman and animal subjects, each unit containing a predetermined quantityof active material calculated to produce the desired therapeutic effectin association with the required pharmaceutical diluent, carrier orvehicle. The specifications for the novel unit dosage forms of thisinvention are dictated by and are directly dependent on (a) the uniquecharacteristics of the active material and the particular therapeuticeffect to be achieved, and (b) the limitation inherent in the art ofcompounding such an active material for therapeutic use in humans, asdisclosed in this specification, these being features of the presentinvention. Examples of suitable unit dosage forms in accord with thisinvention are tablets, capsules, troches, suppositories, powder packets,wafers, cachets teaspoonfuls, tablespoonfuls, dropperfuls, ampules,vials, segregated multiples of any of the foregoing, and other forms asherein described.

The systemic administration of flurbiprofen, its salts or esters, tohumans or animals provides a useful method of treating a damagedblood-brain barrier. Human or animal subjects who have an injuredblood-brain barrier due to trauma, infection, shock, or an irradiationcan be administered to the compounds to restore the blood-brain barrierto its healthy function.

The dose of flurbiprofen, its salts or esters, for treating theblood-brain barrier is the same dose known for treating conditions forwhich it is previously known to be useful. In general, from about 0.25mg to about 5.0 mg per kilogram body weight administered daily in singleor divided dosage amount or an adult daily dose of up to 300 mg/day individed dose.

The following examples are illustrative of the present invention, butare not intended to be limiting.

EXAMPLE 1 Hard Gelatin Capsules

One thousand two-piece hard gelatin capsules for oral use, each capsulecontaining 50 mg of flurbiprofen are prepared from the follow

Flurbiprofen: 50 gm

Lactose: 100 gm

Corn starch: 20 gm

Talc: 20 gm

Magnesium stearate: 2 gm

The flurbiprofen (finely divided by means of an air micronizer) is addedto the other finely powdered ingredients, mixed thoroughly and thenencapsulated in the usual manner.

The foregoing capsules are useful for treating a damaged blood-brainbarrier due to virus infection by the oral administration of one capsulefour times a day.

Using the procedure above, capsules are similarly prepared containingflurbiprofen in 25, 75, and 100 mg amounts by substituting 25, 75, and100 gm of flurbiprofen for the 50 gm used above.

EXAMPLE 2 Soft Gelatin Capsules

One-piece soft gelatin capsules for oral use, each containing 25 mg offlurbiprofen (finely divided by means of an air micronizer) are preparedby first suspending the compound in 0.5 ml of corn oil to render thematerial capsulatable and then capsulating in the above manner.

The foregoing capsules are useful for treating cerebral edema due to atraumatized blood-brain barrier by the oral administration of twocapsules four times a day.

EXAMPLE 3 Tablets

One thousand tablets, each containing 100 mg of flurbiprofen areprepared from the following types and amounts of ingredients:

Flurbiprofen micronized: 100 gm

Lactose: 75 gm

Corn starch: 50 gm

Magnesium Stearate: 4 gm

Light liquid petrolatum: 5 gm

The flurbiprofen (finely divided by means of an air micronizer) is addedto the other ingredients and then thoroughly mixed and slugged. Theslugs are broken down by forcing through a number sixteen screen. Theresulting granules are then compressed into tablets, each tabletcontaining 100 mg of flurbiprofen.

The foregoing tablets are useful for treating a damaged blood-brainbarrier due to a virus infection by the oral administration of onetablet three times a day.

Using the procedure above, tablets are similarly prepared containingflurbiprofen in 25 mg and 50 mg amounts by substituting 25 gm and 50 gmof flurbiprofen for the 100 gm used above.

EXAMPLE 4 Oral Suspension

One thousand ml of an aqueous suspension for oral use, containing ineach teaspoonful (5 ml) dose, 100 mg of flurbiprofen, aluminum salt isprepared from the following types and amounts of ingredients:

Flurbiprofen, Aluminum Salt micronized: 20 gm

Citric acid: 2 gm

Benzoic acid: 1 gm

Sucrose: 700 gm

Tragacanth: 5 gm

Lemon oil: 2 gm

Deionized water, q.s. 1000 ml

The citric acid, benzoic acid, sucrose, tragacanth and lemon oil aredispersed in sufficient water to make 850 ml of suspension. Theflurbiprofen aluminum salt (finely divided by means of an airmicronizer) is stirred into the syrup until uniformly distributed.Sufficient water is added to make 1000 ml.

The composition so prepared is useful for treating a damaged blood-brainbarrier resulting from irradition at a dose of one teaspoonful (5 ml)three times a day.

EXAMPLE 5

A sterile aqueous solution for parenteral (i.v.) injection, containingin one liter, 150 mg of flurbiprofen, sodium salt is prepared from thefollowing types and amounts of ingredients:

Flurbiprofen sodium salt: 150 mg

Water for injection, q.s.: 1000 ml

To the sterile solution is added sterilized flurbiprofen, sodium saltand filled into sterile containers sealed.

The composition so prepared is useful for treating a damaged blood-brainbarrier due to an encephalitis infection at a dose of one liter everytwelve hours.

EXAMPLE 6

Following the precedure of the proceeding Examples 1 through 5,inclusive, compositions are similarly prepared substituting equimolaramounts of the ester, e.g., methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, octyl, or salt,e.g., sodium, potassium, ammonium, for the compound of the examples.

I claim:
 1. A process for therapeutic treatment of the blood-brainbarrier comprising the systemic administration to a human or animalhaving a damaged blood-brain barrier of an effective amount of3-fluoro-4-phenylhydratropic acid or an alkyl ester of from 1 to 8carbon atoms, inclusive, including isomeric forms thereof, or apharmacologically acceptable salt thereof.
 2. The process of claim 1wherein the compound is 3-fluoro-4-phenylhydratropic acid.